India Day 4 - the Buddist monastary

Before breakfast several of us were birding from the boat, Rufous Treepie, Paddyfield Pipit, Richard's Pipit, Black Drongo, and a Hoopoe were the first sightings.   Then a couple of White Wagtails turned up, one in the distinctive black plumage which we have come to recognise around us.   Further away Ruddy

Richard's Pipit

Shelduck, Red-wattled Lapwing, and Great Cormorant were feeding.   Common Myna and a White-throated Kingfisher were perched in a nearby tamarisk bush.   Barn Swallow flew past, our first of the trip.   Several Pied Kingfisher used bamboo poles as spotting perches as they looked for fish.

Birds as far as the eye can see

After breakfast we were off on the tender to get into Tata vehicles which were to take us on to the Monastry.  First we stopped at a wetland area where huge numbers of ducks and geese were present.   The sight was breathtaking - thousands of birds covering the whole wetland area and many flying from every direction in the surrounding area.   We encountered a brilliant spectacle which included the following: Coot, Shoveler, Pintail, Gadwall, Garganey, Greylag geese, Green Sandpiper and then some less familiar species for us in Falcated Teal, Intermediate Egret, Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Bronze-winged Jacana, Asian Pond-heron, Lesser Adjutant flew around and a Darter perched up on a bamboo stem drying its wings. We also saw Grey Pansy butterfly.

Spotted Owlet

The Auniati Satira is the oldest Monastry in Assam at 357 years old and also the largest with 400 monks.   The children join between the ages of 5 and 9, when they are offered to the Guru by their parents, the Guru  decides who to accept.    At this young age they are quick to learn the ways of the monastary, the dances and the teachings.   They then live a life of protection in the enclave.   They are not allowed to touch or be touched by anyone else, and they physically flinched away from us as they walked past in case they made any contact by mistake.  When they are older, if they decide to return to life outside they can ask the Guru for permission to see their parents who are able to take them back - again should the Guru approve.

On entering the Monastry grounds you have to remove your shoes and either go barefoot or in socks.   No hats are supposed to be worn although we were told it would not cause offence on this occasion.

In the grounds we were shown a Spotted Owlet, Crimson Sunbird showed up really well with the bright sunlight showing its brilliant colours.   A Black-crowned Night-heron roost was also pointed out in the top of trees overhanging the path.

Inside the temple

We walked around the Temple where monks were saying their prayers.    One chanted and others sat around listening.   Then two drummers started to play.  We watched as we wandered around temple and grounds.   The temple was not at all what I had expected - more like an open concrete barn or converted aircraft hangar.

Eventually it was time to move off to the second part of our cultural visit.   This was to another Monastry the Kamalabari - here we were to see a world-wide travelled group of drummers and dancers.

The drummers were accompanied by cymbal players.   All of them danced in time to the music and a couple of the percussionists sang.   The drumming was an artistic interpretation of movement and dance with very precise hand and arm movements.

Musical entertainment

After this, four young monks (looking surprisingly feminine - to the extent that several members of our party did not believe that they were young men) did a gymnastic display, again to drums and cymbals.

The final part of our visit was a welcome drink of Assam breakfast-type tea, and a ball of rice with cardamon.   Unfortunately we had a breakage which ended with Philip having hot tea over his foot.    I poured my cold water over it to give some relief.

Once again we had to put shoes and socks on as we left, and now being some 45 minutes late we made haste back to the village on the riverside.

MV Manashputra

Once back on board we washed and changed then had lunch.

We sailed off back down river - of course we birded on the way.   Mallard, Great-spotted Eagle, Spot-billed Duck, Wigeon, Northern Lapwing, Pochard, Greenshank, Great Cormorant, White Wagtail, Greylag Geese, Pied Kingfisher, Ruddy Shelduck, Kestrel, a flock of around 15 Red-crested Pochard, showed off their 'David Bowie' haircuts well in the sunlight.

At 3pm we saw the foothills of the Himalayas as we moved towards Piso Lagoan where we moored for the night.